


These Small Hours Still Remain

by CourageInImmensity



Series: Your Love Is A Song [3]
Category: Glee, Harry Potter - Fandom, One Tree Hill
Genre: Clay Evans - Freeform, Cute, Death, F/M, Family, Funeral, Glee - Freeform, Logan Evans - Freeform, Love, Multi, OTH - Freeform, One Tree Hill - Freeform, Other, Sad, Sara Evans - Freeform, Snowball Fight, Sweet, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 04:35:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,152
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20482958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageInImmensity/pseuds/CourageInImmensity
Summary: Snapshots of Clay and Sara's all too brief married life and parenthood, before tragedy strikes. In just a few short years, the haunting sound of Willie Nelson's voice will be all that remains of their love story.





	1. For One So Small

**For One So Small**

It was a sunny day in September that found Clay Evans painting his first-born's future nursery walls. Even though the protective plastic sheets covering the floor were a mess, Clay couldn't help being proud of how the sky-blue paint covering more and more of the wall space was turning out. From the living room, the opening song of Tarzan met his ears and Clay smirked as his brush continued to smoothly move across the wall. Seven months pregnant now, Sara had developed an obsession with her childhood favorite Disney films.

He had given her strict instructions not to set foot in the nursery until the day he said it was okay, so anything that kept her glued to the couch was fine by him. She had her cell phone handy, since moving was becoming increasingly taxing at her size, and Clay was constantly on the alert for his ringtone to break the silence. It was barely five minutes later that the call came and Clay pounced on his phone; "You need something, angel?"

"Yeah…you," said his wife's muffled voice thickly and Clay could have sworn she was sniffling.

"I'll be right there." Without a moment's hesitation, Clay disconnected the call and tossed his paintbrush aside. Then he charged down the hall to the living room and screeched to an astonished halt near the kitchen counter. The animated film on the wall-mounted television was paused on a shot of a very dejected looking gorilla, standing alone at the top of a hill. Sara was propped up on the couch, hugging a cushion to her belly with her feet resting on the coffee table in front of her. Her lips were actually quivering as one finger toyed with a strand of her blonde curls in apparent agitation. "Sara, are you crying?" he asked in disbelief, looking from the television screen to his wife in amusement.

"Kala's baby is dead," the blonde wailed, without looking at him; "What if something happens to our baby, Clay?"

"Kala is a fictional gorilla, sweetheart," he pointed out. "We don't live in the jungle for starters." She shifted awkwardly to make room for him on the couch and Clay ended up with Sara's swollen feet in his lap. Rubbing the soles of her feet gently, he continued; "Secondly, do you really think I'd ever let anything happen to this little guy?" He glanced at the frozen image of Kala's misery on the screen; "Besides, isn't the whole point of this story that she adopts Tarzan anyway?"

"You're a saint," Sara moaned in pleasure with her eyes closed as the ache in her feet subsided. "I guess that's true. But even Tarzan's parents were killed. Oh God, what if something happens to us? What will happen to our baby then?"

"Stop it, you goof," he said firmly. "We're not going anywhere, okay? This baby is going to be to be safe and loved forever. Forever is a very long time you know," he winked and Sara finally looked at him properly. Very abruptly a grin broke out on her face, followed by one of the adorable giggles that had made him fall in love with her when they first met. "That's better," he said affectionately. "What's so funny?"

In response, Sara trailed her thumb across his forehead and showed him the smudge of blue it came away with. "You just gave away the color of the nursery I think," she laughed. "You look like Harry Potter, just with a blue scar."

"Damn," he groaned. "Trust me it looks way better on the walls than it does on me." He placed his hand tenderly on her belly and grinned at the fluttering kicks against his palm; "I hope you like blue, little man. It's Superman's color, you know."

"You're such a dork," she sighed affectionately. "Please don't tell me you want to name our son Clark."

"There's nothing wrong with the name Clark," he protested. "But no, you know I love Batman and Wolverine best," he smirked at her exasperated eye roll.

"What am I going to do with you?" she teased. She frowned thoughtfully for a moment; "Hang on, wasn't Batman's real name Bruce?" she shuddered involuntarily. "I refuse to put my baby through that, sorry."

"Lucky for you Wolverine is the best then," he told her. Her gaze was focused on the film again, where Kala's mate and leader of the gorillas was now rejecting the human baby. Clay rolled his eyes affectionately as Sara's hazel eyes filled with tears again. He reached across her vast figure carefully and grabbed the remote to pause the film again. "Focus angel," he laughed, kissing away the tears on her cheeks gently.

Sara grabbed his hand when he tried to move away and held it against her huge baby bump again. "Promise you'll never reject our son like that," she begged quaveringly, nodding at the television screen.

"That's offensive, I'll have you know. I won't let anyone else ever hurt our kid if I can help it and I certainly won't reject him. In two months you'll no longer be my favorite person in the whole world, fair warning," he told her solemnly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled, holding out her hand to him in apology. He pressed his large palm flat against her dainty one, just like Tarzan and Jane did in the movie and she smiled appreciatively. "I just want him to be safe and happy more than anything in the world. I'm perfectly happy being second on your list of favorite people if he's at the top."

"He will be, I promise," Clay swore, pressing a kiss to her knuckles. "As long as his sappy goofball of a Mom stops crying, that is." One minute Sara was gazing adoringly at him and the next tearing up again, he couldn't help but find it amusing. Clay glanced at the television and then at his wife once more; "This movie is so bad for your hormones," he said decisively and she punched his shoulder playfully. "I'm serious, stop with the murdered parents and dead gorilla babies already. Where are your shoes? I have an idea, meet me in the yard," he said mysteriously.

After helping her carefully to her feet, Clay vanished outside and left his wife hunting for a comfortable pair of sneakers, utterly confused. When she had located a pair of shoes that still fit, she waddled slowly into the garden. Even Clay had used the time to change into a grey t-shirt not smeared with blue paint and was now seated on one of two wooden chairs he had dragged from the deck to the middle of the lawn. He patted the very considerately padded spare seat beside him and grinned goofily at her approaching figure. "What on earth are you doing?" she asked him, noticing the camera balanced on his lap as she drew closer to the chairs and lowered herself gingerly into the vacant one.

"We are going to take some pictures," Clay explained enthusiastically, waving the camera in her face. "I figured with a picture of both of us in the nursery with him, our little guy will always feel safe. We can be like guardian angels," he beamed proudly. "Cool, right?"

"You are incapable of cool, Clay Evans," she laughed as his excited grin gave way to an offended pout. Holding his head tenderly between her hands, she pressed her lips firmly to his and kissed him until the need for oxygen broke the streak of passion.

"Wow," he blinked at her in awe. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"That was for being you," she said simply. "My hero and his," she said, nodding at her bulging belly. He caressed the bump lovingly as Sara grabbed the camera from his lap. "Can I take the first one?" she asked eagerly and Clay nodded reluctantly.

"Okay, but you have to turn it around to take a selfie," he pointed out.

"Duly noted, Einstein," she shot back with a teasing roll of her deep hazel eyes. "Just come closer and give me that boyish grin of yours, clear?"

"I can totally do that." He leaned obligingly closer to her across the two armrests between them, as Sara held the camera up at an angle. "On the count of two?"

"You know it." She shot him a dazzling smile and pressed a kiss to his cheek before adjusting the flash settings on the camera. "It's kind of our thing, after all." The twenty-four year couple had first met as college sophomores five years previously, when urged by daredevil friends to participate in jumping off a bridge near the university campus, into a lake. Clay and Sara had both been reluctant and terrified to perform the stunt and held hands to dive in unison. Adrenaline had prompted their first kiss in the chilly water and there had been no going back from that moment. Clay had actually been raised with the habit to do anything on the count of two rather than three, but since that fateful jump it was irrevocably their thing. When the camera flash indicated a shot had been taken, Sara eagerly turned the camera around to preview her handiwork. Her rosy lips quivered in displeasure at what she saw; "Ugh, I look like a whale," she moaned pitifully, setting the camera down on her lap and glaring at it, as if the device had personally offended her.

"Let me see that," Clay smirked, shaking his head at her adorable pout. He grabbed the camera and narrowed his eyes intently at the preview screen in mock-scrutiny. "I don't see any whales here," he said in a serious voice, but his dark blue eyes were sparkling in amusement. "There's just a knucklehead and his angel…and a growing little superhero of course."

"You're sweet," Sara told him, pressing her head against his shoulder as he prepared the next shot. "I guess photography isn't my thing, we look headless," she laughed at the failed photograph.

"Yeah," he nodded, trailing his fingers across her shoulder blades. "My next wife will be a much better photographer," he joked and Sara pulled away from the embrace and glared at him.

"Clay! That was rude," she protested. She traced the wedding band on his finger and squeezed his hand tightly; "You're mine, you knucklehead, don't you dare forget who proposed in the first place."

"Never," he promised solemnly. "Come closer or we'll be headless again, you goof."

Sara placed her hand on his shoulder and tilted her head towards him with another huge smile. "One…two," she counted softly and then there was another flash.

"Would you look at that?" Clay crowed triumphantly. "Our heads are back, that is how it's done, baby!"

"Yeah, yeah, rub it in," she groaned and arched her back slowly.

"You okay?"

"Your son is a kicker," she laughed. "Do you mind if we go back inside? My back is killing me."

"Your wish is my command," he joked and pulled her carefully to her feet. He kept his arm firmly around her as they walked back along the stone path to the front door and in no time the pair was back on the living room couch. Clay placed his hand gently against her belly once more as Sara adjusted the cushions behind her; "Hey Wolverine, stop hurting your mother, right now," he demanded sternly. "It's not nice."

"Don't you have work to be getting on with, Mr. Super Agent?" Sara asked him, attempting to punch the cushion behind her into a comfortable shape.

"It can wait," he said simply. "I have a better idea, come here." He grabbed the cushion she had been trying to pummel into submission and placed it on his knees. Sara smiled and laid her head on his lap, before reaching for the television remote again. The Disney film had been paused throughout their photoshoot distraction. "How's that?" Clay asked softly.

"Perfect," she murmured. "You're the best." He stroked her hair gently as she watched the film commence. "I love Kala's lullaby so much," she sighed contentedly. "Junior has even stopped squirming, he must like it too."

"If you say so," Clay laughed, watching a bright blue butterfly settle on baby Tarzan's nose and spread its wings. He held his hand against her belly as Sara closed her eyes; "It is a good song," he admitted. "You'll be here in my heart."

"Now and forever more," Sara whispered sleepily and placed her hand on top of his against the baby bump. And in that moment she finally stopped projecting fictional murders into fear for her baby and felt completely safe. "I love you, Clay Evans."

"I love us," he said tenderly. "Our kid will be just fine, angel, I promise!"

**A / N This is my first Clara pregnancy fluff that wasn't a tiny flashback. Tarzan is my favorite Disney film and the song actually means a lot to me so it was really sappy to write. More related pieces coming soon, enjoy! xx**


	2. If Walls Could Talk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insecurity at work spirals into doubt of his parenting skills for Clay, luckily Sara has a surprise waiting when he gets home in a glum mood.

**If Walls Could Talk**

He could not contend with overly concerned parents, Clay Evans decided as he watched one such mother guiding her college-aged son out of his office. Kyle Irving had potential, but he also had a family depending on his success as an athlete. Clay had seen the enthusiasm and joy for the game in the young basketball player's eyes but his mother was another story. Much as he respected a guy who valued his mother's opinion, it could sometimes make his job a lot harder.

The taste of failure was still bitter his mouth when he saw his boss hovering disapprovingly outside his room. Thankfully his young assistant Callie warded the judgmental man off for him; the girl was an asset barely two months into the job. He saw her answer the phone at her desk and prepared himself for an incoming call just in case. Sure enough, seconds later the line was passed on. "Who is it, Callie?"

"It's Sara, boss," said the blonde and the usual surge of pleasure that came with hearing from his wife was accompanied by a burst of nerves. Sara was currently eight months pregnant with their first child and Clay hated working even two hours away from home as a result. Who knew with babies, right?

He gestured to Callie to connect him and picked up the phone nervously. "Hi angel," said quickly. "Are you okay? Is it the baby?"

"I should hope not, you goof, there's like a month to go," she giggled. "I just have a really important question. Do you have a minute?"

Clay let out a sigh of relief before responding. "For you, I have all the time in the world. What's up?"

"You're sweet," she told him and just picturing her loving eyes made him feel better about how badly work was going today. "What's Wolverine's real name?"

"That's the all-important question?" he said incredulously. "Why didn't you just look it up?"

"I want to hear it from you, you dork. It's for a good cause, I promise."

"You're a funny one, Sara Kay," he laughed. "It's Logan, if you really must know. Why the sudden curiosity anyway?"

"You'll see," she told him mysteriously. "I should let you get back to work, my super-agent. See you tonight, babe. I love you."

"I love you too. Take care of the junior knucklehead."

"Obviously. You'll have to share a very big piece of my heart with him soon enough."

"Noted." Clay smiled to himself; "I'm totally okay with that. I'll be home as soon as I can. Bye angel."

The mysterious phone call from his wife lifted Clay's spirits for a very short while. It wasn't long before his boss Ken Arthur cornered him for a lecture on caving to overprotective parents' demands. Emotions had no room in the corporate man's agenda and he made sure Clay was aware of the fact multiple times by the end of the day. It was getting dark by the time he was ready to drive back to Raleigh from the Tree Hill-based office. A tense grimace in lieu of a smile was all he could manage when Callie held the elevator for him.

"Rough day, huh?" she said conversationally. "Mr. Arthur can be such a hardass. I thought you were doing really well with Mrs. Irving for a while there."

"I really wasn't," Clay told her dully. "You have a lot to learn, Callie."

"I'm sure I do, but for what it's worth you had me sold on that proposal. Don't dwell on it, okay? My Mom always says every day is a chance to try again and do better."

"Smart woman. It's a shame Mrs. Irving isn't more like her, with business you get one chance to impress and that's it."

"Wait for the next first impression to walk in then, I guess," said Callie, for of course, that was the only solution. "See you tomorrow, boss."

Feeling disappointed in spite of his assistant's encouraging words, Clay moved towards his Stingray and began the journey home. The two-hour drive back to Raleigh was spent going over every detail of the meeting with Kyle Irving in his mind. By the time he reached home the simple failure of the day had been built up into something that rattled more than just his professional confidence. When he swept into the apartment he shared with Sara and deposited his keys on the peg by the door, a rustling noise from the direction of the bedrooms caught his attention.

"Sara?" he called curiously, moving towards the sound. His heavily pregnant wife was leaning against the future nursery door when he reached down the hall. "Hey there, beautiful," he said, feeling his troubles melt away at the sight of her coy smile. "What are you doing over here? Can't get enough of the nursery since I wouldn't let you see it for so long?"

"Something like that, yeah," she nodded and drew as close to him as her bulging belly would allow. "It's just perfect."

"I'm glad you approve." The bump acted like a buffer between them and placing his hand against it Clay found himself calming down even further. "How's our Wolverine today?"

"I think he can't wait to start kicking the world's butt," she laughed. "He squirms…a lot. How was his Dad's day?"

"Could have been better," Clay sighed and as usual something about the look in Sara's eyes compelled him to spill his guts. "Your call was pretty much the nicest part of the day. I was supposed to convince this rookie basketball player to sign with us today and I couldn't do it. He was straight out of college and his mother wasn't a fan of my proposal. I guess the real world doesn't believe much in integrity, character and heart." He hesitated, reluctant to voice the fear his failure of the day had unleashed.

"That's their loss then, isn't it? Someone else will believe in all those important things. He's hardly going to be your only client to impress," said Sara firmly and squeezed his fingers gently. "Is something else wrong?"

"How the hell do you that, angel?" he marveled and wrapped his arms around her vast frame.

"I can always tell when you're hiding something, remember?" she reminded him. "Surprises, lies, general problems, I'm just that good."

"Modest you are not, babe," he smiled in spite of himself. "Actually…it's kind of silly. I guess failing to sign this kid just starting out on the path to greatness today made me doubt if I'll be able to teach our kid the important things in life, you know? He had so much potential but I couldn't even convince his mother it was a good deal."

"Clay," she began, looking pained at the defeat in his tone and putting that look on her face just made him feel worse. "That's not going to be a problem, okay? We have a great kid on the way, I can feel it. Failing to get one contract signed has nothing to do with your abilities as a parent."

"But how do you know that? It feels like exactly the same thing." He looked so desperate for reassurance that Sara decided there was no time like the present to reveal what she had really been up to all day.

"I just do," she said simply and took his hand before shoving the nursery door open. "It's not the same thing at all, trust me. Now, close your eyes and get in here. I have something to show you."

Confused, Clay did as she asked and let her guide him into the nursery. "No peeking," she insisted and he heard the plastic sheeting protecting the floors while the paint on the walls dried rustling underfoot. "Okay, stop here," she said finally and Clay heard a strange scraping and clanging noise while Sara pressed her hands over his eyes. "On the count of two," she whispered in his ear and he smiled in spite of the terrible day because she valued their thing so deeply. "One…two!"

With that Sara lowered her hands and Clay opened his eyes. Almost immediately he felt his jaw drop in awed delight. His father-in-law was standing near the already assembled crib and from the way it was positioned slightly crooked, Clay guessed it had just been shoved back into place. "Behold the finishing touches to this lovely room," said Sam, gesturing at the wall. "And don't worry; I made sure Sara didn't handle the paint at all. You can thank her for the little paper chains on the rails of the crib, see?" The older man pointed at the decorations in question, but Clay kept gaping at the wall.

"This is a good silence, I'm guessing?" Sara smirked, kissing his cheek to end the stunned reaction. "It looks amazing, Daddy. Thanks for your help." She smiled at the wall where the name Logan glistened in fresh white paint on the light blue backdrop, the letters shaped like fluffy white clouds. "Do you like it?"

"Like it?" Clay repeated faintly. "Are you kidding me, angel? I love it! Are you serious about this?"

"Of course," Sara nodded. "He's our little superhero, our Logan." She placed one hand over her baby bump; "Hey Wolverine, tell Daddy you believe in him, would you?" Seconds later she grabbed Clay's hand and placed it against her belly. "He listened to me, feel that?"

"Oh my God," Clay whispered, falling more in love with his wife than he ever would have believed possible when her eyes sparkled with pure adoration. "That's my Wolverine."

"We believe in you," said Sara simply and he welcomed her kiss with pleasure. "You're already my hero, Clay. In a few weeks, you'll be his too, you'll see." Overcome with love and excitement, Clay lifted his wife slightly off her feet and twirled in a careful circle. He was only distantly aware that Sam had snapped a picture of the moment, for right then nothing else mattered but the woman about to give him the most precious gift in the world.


	3. Snow Angels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New parents Clay and Sara take a moment away from their precious one-month-old baby to have some fun on a snowy day shortly before Christmas.

**Snow Angels**

"Sweetheart, you're going out into the yard, not another planet." Sara Evans bit her lip sheepishly at her mother-in-law's words, her twinkling hazel eyes fixated on her one-month-old baby boy asleep in the older woman's arms. "Relax and have some fun, it's good for you."

"It feels really good, doesn't it?" she sighed at last. "Holding him, I mean. I could just never let go."

"It does," Marie agreed, smiling at the tiny baby clutching the fabric of her shirt in his fist as he slept. "He's clingy, just like Clay was. Oh, this takes me back like you wouldn't believe."

"I think he looks like him too," said Sara fondly. "That's basically yet another reason for me to be completely in love with him."

"Who are you completely in love with?" Clay's voice came drifting down the hall towards the nursery and when Sara turned he was leaning in the doorway, the boyish grin that melted her heart firmly in place. "I'm not very good at sharing, angel."

"Well you're just gonna have to learn then," she told him, sensing Marie's smile as she watched them from the armchair in the corner of the room. "I warned you a month ago babe, Wolverine was due to steal my heart. The deed is done whether you like it or not."

"Damn, you were the first girl to ever give me the time of day and here my one month old is stealing hearts. How is this fair?" Clay joked, tugging her close enough to snake his arms around her waist. Even through the fabric of the thick winter jacket he was wearing, Sara could feel his heart faintly pounding. "He clearly takes after his Mom that way."

"Your mother thinks he's just like you, actually," Sara corrected him. "If she wasn't so completely in heaven just getting to hold him I don't think I'd be able to walk out that door right now. I have to learn how to share him myself apparently."

"Well yeah, you were swearing all through summer that you'd be the first one out the door when it finally snowed. What happened to that, hmm?"

"The person who said those things was four months pregnant at the height of summer and didn't know any better," Sara protested. "It was so worth it. I mean, just look at our little sunshine over there. I can hardly believe he's real sometimes."

"Oh, he's definitely real," said Clay softly, stepping around her towards the armchair where his mother sat with the baby. "We made him," he said, stroking Logan's cheek gently with the tip of his finger. "And he's like the most perfect thing in the universe…besides you of course."

"Nice try, honey," Sara giggled, the sweet sight making her heart swell with overwhelming love and affection for her family. "Face it; you're just as crazy about him as I am."

"You're both crazy," Marie interrupted, laughing when Clay pouted at her. "The snow looks beautiful out there. Go and play, we're fine here." Clay opened his mouth to protest, but his mother cut across him before he could say a word. "Honey, need I remind you I've done this three times before? You turned out alright, if I do say so myself. Knucklehead moments are in your blood, we won't hold them against you."

"Mom!" Clay gasped, whipping around to glare at his wife when Sara burst out laughing behind him. "Why do you choose to hurt me like this?"

"I like knuckleheads," Sara whispered seductively in his ear and even though he was already dressed for the cold outside, her tone sent a shiver of pleasure down his spine. Squeezing his shoulder gently, she finally backed out of the nursery. "Come on, she's got a point. It's not like we're going very far, there's so much snow out there Logan can even watch the fun if he does wake up."

"That's exactly what I've been saying," said Marie, shaking her head fondly at their overprotective antics. "Time goes so fast, before you know it he'll be old enough to play in the snow with you. I can only hope you get your snowman-building skills from me. The one time your father tried to help you kids, the thing ended up looking more like an anthill."

"Oh God, I remember that," Clay laughed, keeping his doting gaze on Logan as his mother moved towards the kitchen window for a better view of their fun. He was so busy staring adoringly at the tiny baby; Clay didn't even realize that Sara's infectious giggles had long since faded away in the distance. The knowing twinkle in his mother's bright blue eyes should have been a warning, but Clay still let out a shocked gasp when a freezing clump of snow hit him hard in the back. "Ah!" When he spun around, his wife was peeking out from behind a big tree at the other end of the lawn with a mischievous grin on her face. "Oh, you'll pay for that one, Sara Kay," he warned her and finally took a menacing step into the crisp winter air.

"Evans," she called back teasingly, unfazed by the threat. "Hit me with your best shot, babe."

Clay smiled over his shoulder at Logan still nuzzled against his grandmother's chest before taking the bait. "Mommy's asking for it now, isn't she, Wolverine?"

"Clay, that's cheating," Sara whined from across the snow-covered lawn. "You're the one who said to ease off the kid, traitor!"

"Just making sure he's on my team," Clay winked as he finally bent down to scoop up a handful of snow. "It's payback time angel, watch your back."

"Bring it on," Sara laughed, shaking snow from the solid tree branch above her head into her hand as ammunition. She stepped out from behind the tree trunk carefully and launched her snowball at the exact same time as Clay sent his flying towards her. "Well that was artistic," she mused when the two clumps of snow collided in mid-air and disintegrated, neither meeting their original targets.

"Nice aim," Clay told her mock-teasingly. "Even your snowball is in love with mine, give in to temptation and save us all the trouble of getting really cold."

"Where's the fun in that?" Sara shot back and danced out from behind her tree as he watched in amusement. "Warming up is the best part." She twirled gracefully towards him with her tongue sticking out to catch the occasional snowflake. "Don't you think?"

"Hell yeah," Clay moaned when she reached him and looped her arms around his neck.

Suddenly the opening strains of Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground drifted out to them from the open window. "Your Mom is psychic," said Sara gleefully. "I love this song."

"It could also be the fact that very few other records ever see the light of day in this house," Clay pointed out, returning his mother's wave and staring at Logan's tiny figure in her arms for a moment.

"Whatever," Sara said dismissively. "Dance with me, you goof!"

"Now?"

"No, next year," she said sarcastically. "Yes now, dummy." She leaned up and pressed a kiss to his lips; "Unless you're not up to the challenge of keeping me warm that is."

"Is that seriously a challenge, angel?" he teased. "Careful what you wish for, I might never let you go."

"That's what I'm hoping," Sara whispered, pressing her head against the padding of his jacket as they began to sway in unison. "I love you, you know?"

"I kind of love you too," he replied. "This is forever, I promise."

"It better be," she said, grinning when he kept a firm hold on one of her hands so she could spin away from him and land safely back in his arms. "I'll make a dancer of you yet, Clay Evans."

"I know you have many talents, angel, but making me a world-class dancer is absolutely not in the cards, I'm sorry to say," he laughed.

"I'll show you talents," Sara smirked, backing away from him as she spoke. Stretching her arms out to her sides, the blonde flopped into the deep layer of snow coating the lawn. "This angel loves angels," she said, spreading her arms and legs wide to form a classic snow angel. "It'll give you some work to do later, Mr. Warm Up," she giggled breathlessly up at him.

"Why later?" Clay demanded with a teasing glint in his dark blue eyes. "You don't get to be all pink-cheeked cuteness and expect me to ignore it, angel. Good try."

Sara's eyes widened as he knelt at her feet and leaned forward, pinning her arms to the ground so he could reach her lips uninterrupted. "Oh no," the blonde squealed. "God, that's freezing…I hate you!"

"Getting snow down the back of your jacket?" he laughed mischievously. "I was just giving Mr. Warm Up a real job to do, you know," he said as Sara's teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

"Shut up and kiss me, you knucklehead," Sara moaned insistently, sitting up when he finally released her. "That's what you get for ruining my perfect snow angel, idiot."

"Sure, whatever you say," Clay murmured, too busy sucking on her rosy lips to speak for a moment. "That's where I have an advantage, you know. Nothing can stop my angel from being perfect every minute of every day."

"Good line," Sara admitted grudgingly as Clay stood up and pulled her to her feet. "Very smooth, I knew there was a reason I love you."

"That can't be the only reason," he pouted, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"Well no." Sara leaned back against his chest with a contented sigh. "The biggest reason is over there, actually," she said, nodding at the window where Marie was still holding Logan and watching them with a smile. "And you're kind of a super-agent, right?" she winked. "We did alright, didn't we?"

"I'd say we did great," Clay corrected her. "Come on, let's go freeze the kid and see how tough he really is."

"Hey, no freezing my baby," Sara protested, punching his arm playfully. "You're officially Mr. Warm Up now, bring on the cuddles!"

"Our baby," Clay smiled, pressing her close to him as they headed back inside. "Your wish is my command. Lead the way, angel."

_A little while later_

"You two are impossible," said Marie, shaking her head at Clay as he sipped the coffee Sara had made him before curling against his shoulder as if she never intended to move again. "Logan's not even awake yet and you're already back inside."

"It's cold out there," Clay pointed defensively, smiling at the tiny bundle his mother was still clutching protectively. She sat in the single armchair while he and Sara were sprawled on the grey leather couch. "I stuffed snow down Sara's jacket so she said I owe her a warm-up cuddle. I'm definitely not complaining."

"I can see that," Marie smiled, wrapping the baby blanket Logan had inherited from Clay's older sister Lily more snugly around him. It was a pale yellow with little blue flowers embroidered on it, the pattern surrounding the initials L.E in a curly white-threaded font.

"That thing is definitely the best present he got," said Sara softly. "It's so pretty."

"He seems to love it as much as his Aunt Lily did," Marie agreed, running her finger carefully across the letters. "It's lucky you chose a name beginning with L so it works for him."

"Oh no, that is absolutely not luck," Sara laughed, shaking her head at Clay's proud grin. "Thank the creator of X-Men for that one. Your son is kind of a huge nerd, don't you know?"

"Shut up, you love it," Clay pointed out. "I didn't force you to put those epic finishing touches to the nursery, did I?"

"No, that's true," Sara agreed. "I just love you, silly. And with the superhero name he's guaranteed greatness, it felt right."

"I think he's guaranteed greatness with you for a Mom," said Clay seriously. "The name can only do so much."

"Oh I don't know, I think his Dad is pretty great too." Sara shifted just enough for him to lean down and kiss her lips. "I wouldn't have given up my number one spot on your list of favorite people for anybody else."

"Well, obviously he's the only one who could knock you off the top of the list. He's kind of special."

"He's special and he's awake," Marie chipped in, interrupting the loving exchange when the baby in her arms began to whimper. "Hi there, little man. Do you want your Mommy?"

"Of course he does," said Clay knowingly. "You've got your priorities straight already, bud." He moved aside so that Marie could hand the baby into Sara's waiting arms. She held Logan against her shoulder and rubbed his back gently until the half-hearted whimpers ceased. When the danger of a tantrum had passed, Clay slipped his arm around her again and stared down at the tiny human who had stolen the biggest piece of his heart since the day he met Sara. "This right here is the best early Christmas present of all time."

His wife glanced at him with a smile so full of love; he felt his heart might explode at the sight of it. The diamond on her engagement ring caught the winter sunlight through the window. Watching the glint of the jewel reflect off the walls as she stroked Logan's stomach, Clay knew he had everything he could have ever wished for in this very room.


End file.
